Raymond William PostgateBesprekingen

full review can be found here:

https://nordie.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/book-review-somebody-at-the-door-by-raym...

La novela relata un juicio por asesinato a través de los doce miembros del jurado.

Good, unusually composed mystery. Half the book is setting up about half the jurors- each in a little capsule short story of their own. All pretty interesting and well drawn and then on the unpleasant murder of a young boy. Advise reading in one quick fell swoop (not my method, alas) as the last part relies on details of the earlier stories (mentioned above) and I was not always able to keep them together. NB: Sredni Vashtar (Saki) appears.

A jury of twelve who carry their own prejudices must bring in a verdict of a woman accused of murder.
It was just about interesting enough to finish reading to find the verdict, but not really any tension in the story.
Originally published in 1940.
A NetGalley Book

CONTENT WARNING: Cruelty to animals :(

Spoilers abound!

Mrs. Rosalie Van Beer is on trial for the murder of her nephew, Philip, whom she professed to adore but who seemed to suffer more than flourish under her guardianship. It’s up to the jury to decide: was she guilty of his murder, or not guilty?

The book is structured very well and reads quickly. It illustrates how little context may be at jurors’ disposal when they have to decide the fate of another individual, and how dangerous it could be to sentence someone to death when you don’t have all the facts (or even when you do). However, it was horrific to read about how Mrs. Van Beer killed Philip’s pet rabbit and it was upsetting that she faced no consequences for it. So if you’re looking for a courtroom mystery, I would not necessarily recommend this one.

Some parts of this is quite dated and some of the attitudes, particularly to some of the female characters, but it is of it's period. Published in 1940 this is an interesting twist on a courtroom drama. It's divided into four parts. First we're introduced to the Jury, then the case is laid out, then the trial and verdict and then, finally the story is wrapped up in a short postscript (7 pages).
The pen pictures of the various jurors was interesting and it did feed into the attitudes of each juror to the situation and to the case, no-one of them is truly neutral and it does point out how the hope that 12 people can't always be without an opinion about almost every situation.
The mystery is about a young boy, Philip Arkwright who is an orphan and in care of his aunt, .Rosalie van Beer. His family are monied and she wasn't really part of the family, being only married to one of the younger sons for a short while before he dies in the First World War. She had retreated into drink until she realises that she's the boy's only remaining relative. She treats him as an invalid and it's hard to know how many of his issues are created and how many are inherent. He has several tutors and a doctor that's not at the prime of his career. He's also known to have a "sensitive stomach" so when he reacts to something he eats no-one is surprised, when he dies they are. Poison is suspected and the main suspect is his aunt.
Of course today there would be more forensics but there was a fair amount here and there was a lot of messy lives being lived. Rosalie isn't a sympathetic character and I wasn't sure throughout what had happened. Still it was an interesting look at life in the period. There was a lot of snobbery on the part of a lot of the characters throughout and assumptions.
Very satisfying read.

This is a very competent mystery set on the British Home Front fairly early in World War 2. A disagreeable and mildly corrupt businessman and town councilor dies, astonishingly, of mustard gas poisoning after returning to his home town by train. Originally it is assumed by the police that he was poisoned in the railway carriage by one of those who shared it with him, and much of the book is spent exploring the lives of his fellow passengers and their possible reasons for wanting to kill him. Ultimately there turns out to be a different solution, though one related to one of the passengers. Early on, the stories of some passengers were so depressing I considered giving it up, but I found the final solution more satisfying than I expected.

A Golden Age murder mystery, this is the second mystery by author Raymond Postgate. It's set in 1942 while Britain was at war. The wartime setting sets the tone and provides some dark atmosphere to the story.
Mr. Henry Grayling dies by means of mustard gas poisoning, after riding from London to his suburban home in a railway car with several other people. He's carrying a substantial amount of cash, the payroll for his company's staff in the area where he lives. He is responsible for disbursing it. This cash is missing when he shows up at his home in distress and his wife carries him inside. He dies a couple of hours later. At first it looks like a robbery gone bad.
As the story unfolds we learn that Mr. Grayling was not a nice person and was not well-liked. In fact, several of the people in the railway coach with him on his last trip had good reasons to want him dead. It's up to Inspector Holly to sift through the various motives and identify the killer. Along the way readers are treated to several interesting backstories about Grayling's fellow passengers, e.g. the mysterious German refugee's flight from Germany. The identity of the killer may catch many by surprise.
It's a great read and is recommended.½

London, 1942. Bombs and blackouts, and trains that are out of schedule. The latter circumstance particularly irks Councillor Grayling, whom we follow on his journey home on the 6:12 from Euston. Little does he know that it’s his last journey. Later that night he dies at home with symptoms of what look like mustard gas poisoning. Sure there’s a war on, but how could he have been poisoned in that way? And who could it have been? He seems to have had no shortage of enemies…

This was an interesting book to read. Life on the home front during the world wars is always an interesting subject, and it’s depicted well here. I also liked the device of beginning several chapters with a diagram of the train carriage in which Grayling made his last journey: as the police interviewed each occupant, the subject of that chapter would be indicated by a dot. This was a good way to keep track of everybody and to follow along with the Inspector’s investigations.

Overall, I’d say this is worth looking into if you like books about the world wars that were written at the time.

Henry Grayling, an accounting clerk in a London firm, takes the train home every evening to the small village of Croxburn, where he is the town councillor. Each Friday evening, he carries home a case filled with cash – payroll that he must deliver on Saturday morning to several offices of the firm that are near to his home. On this particular Friday in January 1942, he shares a train car with several people he dislikes – the Vicar of Croxburn, who is a fellow town councillor, a young man who is a chemist in his firm, a corporal from his Home Guard platoon, a young man with a club foot and a refugee German. Upon reaching his station, he and the other passengers disembark to find their way home in the moonless night. Later that night, the Vicar is called to Grayling’s home by Grayling’s wife, Renata, who informs him that Grayling is dying. Renata has also called Inspector Holly and Dr. Hopkins, as she found her husband on the doorstep, later than his usual homecoming, bloody and in a terrible condition. The empty case has been found down the road. After Grayling dies that evening, it is clear to Inspector Holly that he has been murdered, but he must determine first how Grayling was murdered before he can find the murderer.

Somebody at the Door is the second book by Raymond Postgate that I have read, both having been republished by the British Library and Poisoned Pen Press. As he does in The Verdict of Twelve, Postgate proceeds logically through the story, taking each of the suspects in turn and giving us their backstory complete with reasons as to why they may have wanted to murder Henry Grayling. The book doesn’t take the same format as a typical Golden Age mystery; instead, each chapter reads as its own individual story, with Inspector Holly’s investigation tying it all together.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The facts were laid out in a very logical, yet story-like, manner. There was no dearth of suspects; however, I believe one can follow the clues and arrive at the correct solution which was well thought out by the author. The methodical nature of the plot may not appeal to some, but I believe it will appeal to those who enjoy Golden Age detection.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

Somebody at the Door is a war-time murder mystery by Raymond Postgate. Published during the war, much of the plot hinges on the war-time environment, the dangerous darkness of the London blackouts and the training of citizens for para-military home guard and civil defense. A disagreeable man is murdered on his way home, dragging himself to his door. Coincidentally, nearly everyone in his train compartment is someone who has reason to dislike him enough to kill him. I think that says more about his character than anything else.

Inspector Holly is a highly organized and methodical detective investigating the murder. He is frustrated because there are simply too many suspects. Nearly everyone he investigates, it turns out, has plenty of motive, means, and opportunity. Henry Grayling is just a disagreeable, miserable cuss and worked at making other people miserable, though I am certain he thought himself a thoroughly proper gentleman.

I enjoyed the investigation in Somebody at the Door. It was methodical, clear, fair and everything a classical detective lover would hope for. It also is a fascinating insight into the lives of people during the War. There are so many narratives that come together on that train ride and so many secrets: theft, corruption, adultery, illegal abortions, espionage, all on one train. It seems Grayling knew no ordinary people.

I was disappointed in the resolution, though it is totally in keeping with the character. I wanted someone else to be the murderer, but sometimes that happens. I followed a couple red herrings, something I hardly ever fall for. I am always happy when I don’t know for certain who the killer is within five paragraphs of his/her introduction. When a red herring succeeds in leading me down a false path, I like it even better. So there is a lot to like about Somebody at the Door. It just ended somewhat anti-climactically–totally in character, but not satisfying for the reader.

I received an e-galley of Somebody at the Door from the publisher through NetGalley.

Somebody at the Door at Poisoned Pen Press
Raymond Postgate – Wikipedia

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2018/02/13/9781464209123/

I always like British Library Crime Classics as they help me to discover hidden gems of the Golden Age of mystery.
This is a hidden gem that somehow reminds me of Christie's Murder on the Orient Express as there are both a train involved and the stories of the different suspects.
The grime atmosphere reflects the historical period and even if it is nearly 70 years old it aged well.
Recommended
Many thanks to Poison Pen Press and Netgalley

Verdict of Twelve by Raymond Postgate is a courtroom crime classic that was originally published in 1940 and now has been re-issued as a British Library Crime Classic. I have a confession to make in that I don’t usually like courtroom drama but I have to say, this book kept me glued to the pages from start to finish.

In the beginning we are introduced to the varied members of the jury and given a short history about each of them. This personality sketch comes in handy when the jury is in deliberation and each juror’s personality plays a part in whether or not they think the defendant is guilty. The mystery itself is intriguing and I was interested to see how this would play out as there really was a significant doubt as to what actually happened.

This is a story of human behavior and the nature of justice. It is rather frightening how much of this jury’s opinion was formed by the appearance of the defendant and the various witnesses. Their own position in society seems to determine whether or not they would vote guilty. Verdict of Twelve is original, clever and I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Henry Grayling's dies in his own home a short time after returning home on the train. Mustard gas caused his death. Some of the man's belongings are found along the road, but the payroll he transported was missing. The vicar provides Inspector Holly with a list of persons aboard the train. As he investigates them, he discovers motives for many of them. The solution may be obvious to the reader carefully paying attention to details; however, others may be left guessing until the revelation.This classic crime will appeal to those who enjoy police procedurals. My remarks are based on advance e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation of an honest review.½

Book Review from the April 1943 issue of the Socialist Standard:

http://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2017/11/pocket-history-of-british-w...

An interesting approach to a mystery; the authors gives us a sketch of each juror, then the course of the murder, followed by the trial, and finally a disingenuous 'confession' of sorts. An old book, but worth reading for fans of the development of the genre.

I love the fact that the British Library Crime Classics, featuring lesser-known mysteries from the Golden Age, are being made available to a wider audience. I’ve read a number of these and this terrific police procedural of murder during World War 2 is among the best I’ve read in this series.

Grayling, a man on his way home from work in a train in wartime England, sits in a railway compartment with neighbors and coworkers. When he is later found dead (and the company payroll missing), many of the people in his compartment are found to have great reason to want to kill the man. This mystery wonderfully tells their stories, including the relationships each had with Grayling, and why each had a reason to want Grayling dead.

This is a well-written police procedural which sheds light on wartime life. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.

This book was sent to me by the publisher Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley. Thank you.

This mystery is the classic story of how a jury views the evidence presented in a murder trial that is not cut-and dried. Rosalie van Beer is being tried for the poisoning of her eleven-year-old nephew Philip. The poison hererin was very exotic, although readily available in the form of ivy pollen from the overgrown vines in the back garden. Did she kill the young boy she hated? After all, she was no blood kin, having been married to his uncle for only four months before her husband was killed in WWI. She stood to inherit a nice amount of cash. Maybe it was the cook and her caretaker husband who also would inherit a tidy sum for retirement. Maybe it was a tragic accident helped by the senile doctor who did not recognize the symptoms and gave the wrong diagnosis. Or it could even be suicide. A very unhappy child had lost his parents in a plane crash and then his grandfather from a massive heart attack on the same day. He was withdrawn from his beloved school and lived in the household of a woman he hated because she gassed his pet rabbit claiming it was “dirty.” He was a clever lad, according to his tutor, well able to read up on poisons.

The chosen jury consists of a woman who got away with murder (not really a spoiler since it is revealed in the first chapter) and understands how simple it is to commit a crime. Included are a young woman who mistrusts the justice system because her husband was killed in a vicious attack and nothing much was done about it; a religious fanatic; a pompous classics professor who only accepts documentary evidence; a publican who had issues with the police. They, with the remaining jurors, hold Rosalie van Beer’s fate in their hands. Would they be right or wrong? The final section lets the reader know what actually happened.

This is a fantastic novel that has stood the time test since being published in 1940. The reader may become a bit cynical about how justice is really being served after reading Verdict of Twelve.

This is a clever murder mystery novel presented in a unique way. It is best not to read the ending before you read the rest of the book. There is a satisfying conclusion to the story despite some moral ambiguity about the result. This provides plenty for food for thought after you finish the book.

There are four parts to the book. The first one is devoted to introducing each of the jurors who will ultimately decide the fate of the yet to be determined accused. They are a mixed bag of humanity; one of them is a murderer who “got away” with it the crime. The second part is the crime story during which readers find out who is killed and who is accused. It’s death by poison and there’s several potential accused persons, but it comes as no real surprise when the identity of the accused is revealed. The third part covers the trial and the presentation of evidence against the accused. One of the defenses raised is that there has been no crime: the victim committed suicide! When you come to the jury deliberations, your reader’s memory of the first part is tested: can you remember who is who, and what are their foibles? The author kindly includes some prompts to help with that. Lastly, after the verdict, is the “reveal”: when the reader finds out what really happened.

It’s a fascinating well-plotted read that requires close attention to the narrative. There’s actually two stories: the crime story and the jury trial one.

The Introduction by Martin Edwards is a welcome addition (as it is in other British Library Crime Classics), and puts the author and this book in context with respect to the Golden Age.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy to review.

This was a very enjoyable story about the court case for a murder. It introduces the reader to the jurors and shares their peculiarities and oddities. We hear the evidence and are given more background than the jurors would learn from the witnesses and the barristers. We are then brought into the jury room for final deliberations.

This book demonstrates the weaknesses of trial by jury and demonstrates how difficult it would be for twelve individuals to focus purely on the evidence of any case give their varied backgrounds and inherent prejudices. Postgate tells this story while maintaining a degree of humour and manages to keep the reader’s attention to the end.

Postgate wrote only a few novels and my first impression of The Verdict of Twelve was that he was emptying his ideas notebook. The book begins with a description of the members of a murder trial jury as they are sworn in. The background stories vary in length and detail but include a stand-alone murder story. They occupy more than a third of the whole book. The rest of the work is equally divided between a description of the case and the course of the trial. A brief postscript lets the reader know what really happened.

Postgate had given much thought to the various ways in which jurors might cope with their task and the extended first part of the book provides the characters to display the different attitudes. The author needs more credit for good plot construction than I gave him at first.

The case concerns the death of a young orphan who is in the care of an appalling aunt. It is easy to see how she ends up in the dock despite a lack of firm evidence against her. Readers who know their Saki will guess, from the pet rabbit's name, how the accused's counsel will handle her defence long before he explains it to the jury.½

I have read this before and within the last few years, and yet I cannot explain why I did not have it recorded as such nor why I did not recognise it once I had started reading it.

Indeed I did not realise I had read it until I had reached about a third of the way into the book and there was talk of the boy's pet and the unusual name of the pet.

The book had an usual structure. A substantial part of the beginning was as to the composition of the jury for a murder trial, then the back story to the murder and the murder itself ( if indeed it was murder) followed by the trial and finally a post script.

The jury members were largely caricatures, rather than in most case fully drawn characters, but that did not detract overly.

Notwithstanding my earlier reading the final denouement was a surprise, though a well thought out one, and perfectly logical and believable ( if one can stomach the idea of such a person).

Well worth a read as a piece of fiction.

I doubt it portrays the inside workings of a modern jury ( or hopefully even one of its day) and probably bears a closer resemblance to the jury depicted in the classic movie 12 Angry Men.

If one wanted a modern study as to the workings of a jury in the common law system, have a look at

Secrets of the Jury System: Inside the Black Box of Criminal Justice in Australia by Malcolm Knox

1 June 2014

BigShip

SPOILER ALERT

Do not read beyond here

Name of the pet rabbit , Srendi Vashtar, was the reminder that I had read this book previously

That name was used in a short story by Saki ( which I had not read) ..actual story/ actual author

The story was unknown to the jury but suggested a particular outcome to the trial

Whilst that suggestion led to the acquittal of the accused, it did not led to any enlightenment as to the cause of death of the boy

The postscript had the acquitted accused acknowledge that she was aware of the boy's plan to try to poison her ( by eating a poisoned meal, which the boy partook of as well) , but she took steps to disgorge the poison, whilst at the same time standing back and not intervening as the family doctor and subsequently a specialist attempted to ascertain the cause of the boy's affliction, and subsequent death.

Whilst the accused mused as to whether her inaction amounted to murder or something else, I have no hesitation in concluding that it was indeed murder of the most hideous kind.

This is the story of a murder trial, but with the focus on the twelve members of the jury and the subjective nature of their assessments of the evidence. Each interpretation is necessarily conditioned on the experiences, biases and aspirations of the individual jurors. And yet as interesting as these reflections are, it is actually the narrative, and the way the story is structured, which makes it truly compelling. The author creates an atmosphere of tension that is maintained until the final pages. The reader only knows slightly more than the jurors, enough to know when their interpretations are suspect, but not enough to know whether their overall conclusions are right or wrong. The truth is revealed only after the verdict has been reached. Continued½